The Stats Behind The Game: Canucks 4, Blackhawks 3

Welcome to this edition of "The Stats Behind The Game." This recurring deep dive breaks down the analytics behind each Vancouver Canucks game as recorded by Natural Stat Trick. In this article, we look back on the Canucks most recent 4-3 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks. 

This game was another example of Vancouver having a slow start and making up for it with a big second period. Through the first period, the Blackhawks held an 8-0 shot advantage at even strength and led in scoring chances 5-2. That completely flipped in the second, with the Canucks registering a 12-2 advantage when it came to scoring chances and a 13-5 lead on the shot clock. While it was good to see Vancouver respond after a sluggish first, slow first periods, have become a concerning trend over the past few weeks and something the organization needs to work on heading into 2024. 

One big positive from the game was Vancouver's ability to prevent shots from down low at even strength. The Blackhawks finished the night with just five high-danger shots and an average shot distance of 75 feet. This means most of Chicago's shots were taken from outside the faceoff dot. While the Blackhawks, in general, are not a good team, this trend shows that the Canucks were able to keep their defensive structure and not play lazy defensively despite the opponent. 

Lastly, let's dive into the Pius Suter, Elias Pettersson, and Ilya Mikheyev line, who were fantastic in this game. The trio played 10:21 together and held a 5-1 advantage in shots while posting an xGF% of 92.83. They also finished the night up 7-1 in scoring chances, 4-0 in high-danger chances, and scored what would end up being the game-winning goal. Moving forward, this could be a very useful line for Vancouver as not only can they produce in the offensive zone, but all three are strong defensively. With the J.T. Miller line struggling in a matchup role as of late, this new-look first line could be used as the team's shutdown line for the foreseeable future. 

Make sure to check back after the game against the Nashville Predators for another edition of "The Stats Behind The Game."